Back at the kingdom, the rest of the knights along with Lucas were busy dealing with the remaining invaders.
"They're retreating, keep pushing them." Lucas commanded as he fought with his people.
The shelter not doing smoothly however, even when Ellie stepped in to help with her magic.
"How many injured left? Take me to them!" She shout after finished treating one person.
Both Sidir and Valix were working together with the rescue.
Everyone were occupied with their duty, yet it's not their problem they fear, but rather the massive battle occurred far away from them.
"ROARRRR!!!"
"{Distortion}"
FWING
Nein deflect the dragon breath with his smoke and close the distance between them, using his spear infused with his ability to take a form of a black anchor.
BASH!
"Ugh! Graa!!!"
Nein sent Lisan flying and immediately chasing him down to close their distance again.
"DIE!!!"
Lisan use the dragon's magic to summon a bunch of life bone from the ground.
"Tch, what a hindrance!"
Nein said as the spear turn into a chain and he begin swinging the anchor around to clean all the skeleton from his way.
"STAY AWAY!!!"
As Lisan shouting it, he spread his wings and about to taking off to the sky.
"Oh no you don't!"
Nein use his ability to tied the wings and pin the dragon to the ground before he take a huge leap toward the dragon's head and ready to finish him off.
SHING...BOOOM!!!
A huge explosion suddenly happened.
Fwush.
Nein managed to avoid the explosion second before it can reach his body.
"Damn it, looks like you still have something up your sleeves."
He remark lightly as the explosion manage to damage his coat. He clear all the smoke covering the field and see another hard-shell egg infront of him.
"Tch, what is it now? I won't fall to the same trap you know."
Yet there's no reaction, when he thought he can use this moment to rest, a hand suddenly appear from the soil and grab his legs.
"What the-woah!"
The bone extended and swing him to the air before throwing him away. He landed against the tree making his body to disperse before back to normal again.
"Dang it! I let my guard down there."
He left the spear there, now guarded by the armies of skeleton along with the hatching egg.
"Haa...yes...this is...power!"
Lisan emerges from the egg with new form. Now the dragon's completely fused with him, making him hold the power of a dragon with his own body.
"Damn it, they don't pay me enough for this."
Nein complaining, but he made no move to run, instead he ready himself to fight. All he need to do first is to get back his weapon.
Shing!
"Heh...you kidding, right?"
He said when he saw Lisan creating a similar weapon as his while also using his stance and suddenly blitz his way to him in a second.
Before the blade can touch him, Nein transform into smoke and evade it. But alas, there's nowhere for him to be really safe as the skeleton begin to swarming him from all directions.
"There's nowhere to run now, because of you...I have to go this far...you inferior human...JUST DIE!!"
Nein brace himself for the attack, he manage to avoid the incoming attack from Lisan while using the chain to deal with the skeleton. But without his weapon, he won't risk using his smoke for offensive as he know the price for it.
He kept dodging like crazy while attempting to get his weapon back, but Lisan, who already know Nein intentions keep making him busy and dragging him away from it.
"HAHAHA! LOOK AT HOW DESPERATE YOU ARE!" Lisan mock him, clearly saw the frustration and exhaustion from Nein's face.
There's a lot for Nein's mind to process, no matter how hard he tried to grab his weapon, he ended up stray away from it. The effects of using his ability starting to take toil of him as his scar begin to crack open wider than before.
His smoke mixed with his blood creating a dark red color as his hair begin to losing color. All this hardship happened because of the promise he made long ago. And now he doesn't care anymore.
"Sorry... sister. I'll break another promise now..." He mumbles as his vision blurring out.
"DIE!!!" Lisan swing his spear toward Nein with full force as the armies of skeleton caging them inside the small arena.
The world around Nein feels like it stopped as he slowly closing his eyes. Then suddenly, his injured left eye opens, revealing three vertical line as he whisper.
"Assimilation {Land of corruption}"
Nein disappear from the sight as the space consumed by darkness before all the skeleton turned into dust, leaving Lisan alone.
He tried to scream, but none of it can be heard as his senses one by one goes numb. He's blind, deaf, mute and can't even feel the ground beneath him. Just void around him.
Nox de amplectatur. Et tenebrae consumunt. Pro vita cedere et nulli succumbere.
The prayers echoing in his souls as he finally goes still and saw the "God". His hand moving by its own and start ripping through his heart before taking it out and handing it to the "God".
Offertam tuam accipiam, o anima perdita.
The figure said as they take Lisan's heart, opening their mouth and eat it, taking away all his power without killing him.
"Gasp...pant...pant..." Nein's awake, finally get the control over his consciousness.
He force himself up and saw the battlefield turned into a field piled with bones as he spot Lisan unconscious body next to him.
"Haa... looks like everything's done now... Let's see what I lose this time..." He said, tired and spent from gambling everything to take Lisan's down.
"Hm? That's weird... Nothing missing this time." He remark to himself after checking on his own body.
He lay back down, completely exhausted from using his ability too much. His hair pale as his skin forming a fresh scars. The first ray of sunlight appear from the horizon, declaring their victory over this conflict.
"Nein!" Lucas arrived with his armies to help but the battle already concluded.
He rushed toward him and frowns from how bad his condition is.
"Healers! Call the healers now!" He begin to yells, the panic in his voice were clear.
Yet, despite everything happens around him, his mind were at peace right now. The voices turned into a distant lullaby as his eyes grows heavier.
"I'd like some sleep now... I'll leave everything to you... your... majesty..."
The sight of Nein sacrificing himself for them, strikes a cord to their hearts. To think the very human they fear turns out saving them from a huge loss.
And finally, for once, they no longer fearing him and start lending their hands to help him. To help their savior.
"NEIN!" Ellie were shocked when she saw everyone carrying his unconscious body to her.
And without further ado, she immediately performing her magic the moment they set him down to bed.
"Gosh... Take off his clothes, I need to take a deeper look." She instructed to her colleague.
"Gasp... H-how could someone lived with this..."
Nein's body looks like a soil in scorching land, full of crack and cuts. As if his body were the battlefield he fought.
"Let's try our best everyone, we can't afford to lose him. Not after he saved us. So please, lend me your strength."
Everyone nodded instantly and start the procedure to transfer their mana to her since she's the most proficient with healing magic and have been working since the beginning.
Meanwhile, the remaining enemies who's still alive along with the broken Lisan were taken to the dungeon for interrogation. Now no longer fearing them for what happened today.
"Look at you... so pitiful that I no longer want to get my revenge. I shall deal with you later. Enjoy whatever happening in your heads now." Lucas said to Lisan before the knights taking him away.
The morning sun keep rising, bathing the kingdom with a new beginning. He look around the streets and saw his people already beginning to fix their house.
"OI! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!? THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO GO THERE YOU DIMWIT!!"
Even Sidir decided to help with it, or maybe he's the only one working with everything while the others just getting in his way. Otherwise, it's a good sight.
"Haa... Please don't die on me Nein. There's still a lot I need to fix with you, maybe we could go to picnic together or maybe..."
He stopped suddenly, chuckled softly and stare at the clear sky.
"This time... Let me treat you properly. So please... Wake up soon, our savior."